Images courtesy of La Maree
About the restaurant
Sheer curtains and backlit onyx walls give La Marée its glow as evening settles over the Sofitel, on the edge of Viaduct Harbour. By day it's airy and chic, French technique layered over fine New Zealand ingredients on a menu that shifts with the seasons. The showstopper is the three-tier Seafood Tower — rock lobster, scampi, oysters, Cloudy Bay clams and Alaskan king crab — while entrées run to Coromandel scallops, tempura oysters and venison tartare. Mains lean into Canterbury Valley duck breast and Wakanui sirloin, with the patisserie team closing on a chocolate and hazelnut tart worth the trip.
Photography: Courtesy of La Maree Restaurant